This week’s best bet in fishing: Redfish in Sebastian Inlet

BEST BET

Nedra Maxwell of the Sebastian Inlet District reported Sebastian Inlet jetty fishermen were having a field day catching and releasing oversize redfish in the 15-to-30-pound range. The redfish were being caught on red and white flare hawk, 3-ounce jigs and surface plugs. Mixed in with the redfish were bluefish, big jack crevalles and catch-and-release snook. Jetty fishermen have also been catching black drum, sheepshead, Spanish mackerel, flounder and a few pompano. Big schools of finger mullet and larger silver mullet have been hanging around the jetties. The best action was on the outgoing tide.

MIAMI-DADE/BROWARD

Captain Jay Cohen from the charter boat Spellbound out of Haulover Marina reported during days when there have been strong offshore breezes he has been trolling large feathers just above the bottom in 20 to 40 feet of water offshore of Miami and catching legal-size mutton snappers, big cero and Spanish mackerel, and catch-and-release groupers. Captain Paul Roydhouse of FishingHeadquarters.com reported nighttime-bottom-fishing trips offshore of Fort Lauderdale have been producing big catches of yellowtail, mangrove and mutton snappers. Mixed in with the snappers have been kingfish, bluefish and catch-and-release groupers. Captain Mo Estevez of New Dawn Charters reported bonefishing along the outside of the Oceanside flats south of Soldiers Key continues to be very good. The bonefish were smaller this week but responded to a well-cast fly for his fly fishing clients.

KEYS

Brett Hogan out of the Holiday Inn in Key Largo reported many of the offshore fishing captains have been targeting yellowtail, mangrove and mutton snappers on the patch reefs offshore of Islamorada. Mixed in with the snappers are catch-and-release groupers, porgies and hogfish. Outside outer-reef blackfin tuna, kingfish and a few sailfish are also being caught. On the Florida Bay side, fishermen are catching a good number of sea trout, mangrove snapper, snook, black drum and redfish. Captain Chris Johnson from SeaSquared Charters took his crew fishing offshore for fun and had a blast catching big kingfish, large mutton snappers, yellowtail snappers and hogfish. They were fishing offshore of Marathon.

TREASURE COAST

Henry Caimotto from Snook Nook Bait and Tackle in Jensen Beach reported sailfish are out in 130 to 150 feet of water. There have been small dolphin feeding with the sailfish. Big kingfish are feeding in 60 feet of water. Along the beaches south of the St. Lucie Inlet, big schools of Spanish mackerel can be targeted by trolling shiny lures outside of the commercial Spanish mackerel fleet. Surf fishing has been a challenge because of rough conditions.

FLORIDA BAY

Captain Jim Hobales of Caught Lookin Charters reported thick fog has been an issue during early mornings in Flamingo. During his backcountry charters, his clients have had steady action from snook and redfish. Most of this action has come off of casting soft plastics and jig heads and hard plastic Rapala lures in the passes and along mangrove shorelines. In areas where schools of pilchards are holding, huge schools of ladyfish and smaller schools of sea trout have been bending fishing rods for his clients.

SOUTHWEST COAST

Captain Rob Modys out of Fort Myers reported the fishing guides in his area are catching a lot of sea trout over the grass flats in 3 to 6 feet of water, plenty of large jacks, Spanish mackerel, silver trout, pompano, sharks, snapper and ladyfish around the passes and creek mouths, and redfish and snook along the oyster bars and mangrove shorelines. Live shrimp under a float or tipped to a jig head have been getting most of the strikes. The bigger boats that can get out to 40 feet of water have been catching kingfish, mackerel, bluefish, snapper, grouper and goliath groupers.

FRESHWATER

Jim Crego from Slim’s Fishing Camp in Belle Glade reported windy weather and dirty water has made bass fishing a challenge. Largemouth bass in the 2-to-4-pound range are being caught on live wild shiners in areas that are protected from the wind. The Dynamite holes have been one of the more productive areas. Speckled perch fishermen are catching their limits at night from the shore. The specs are eating live minnows fished around the dams and along the rim canal.

This story was originally published January 13, 2016 at 8:07 PM with the headline "This week’s best bet in fishing: Redfish in Sebastian Inlet."